Latest news with #AlecJeffreys
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Connecting people
Times of India's Edit Page team comprises senior journalists with wide-ranging interests who debate and opine on the news and issues of the day. DNA tech means remains of AI crash victims will reach their kin. It has also changed the world When Garuda Airways flight 152 crashed on Sept 26, 1997, many of the 234 fliers were mutilated beyond recognition. Eventually, 48 were interred in a mass grave. Thanks to advancements in DNA matching since then, kin of the Air India crash victims have been spared this pain. At least 135 of the 270 victims – many of them completely charred – have already been identified. Officials hope to complete the task by Wednesday. It's a measure of technology's march since scientist Alec Jeffreys found the first genetic fingerprint on Sept 10, 1984. He didn't discover DNA – that honour goes to Swiss scientist Friedrich Miescher, who made the discovery in 1869, the year Mahatma Gandhi was born. But then, not much happened for the next 115 years. Yes, Watson and Crick figured out DNA's structure and won a Nobel in 1962, but DNA didn't have practical uses until Jeffreys' eureka moment. Within a year, he had helped a boy get British citizenship by establishing a DNA link between him and his parents. The year after, he helped nail the culprit in a double rape and murder case. US caught on in 1986, and by 2013 its Department of Justice was collecting and analysing DNA samples for $40 a pop. Now, you can order a DNA paternity test online. Sequencing machines have become tiny – the smallest ones weigh less than a smartphone and cost around $3,000. US troops used one to identify IS leader Baghdadi on their chopper in 2019. Meanwhile, over 40mn people have given DNA samples to private firms to trace their ancestry. In recent weeks, DNA has revealed mix-ups that happened in hospitals in 1940s when newborns weren't tagged. It's solved decades-old crimes, and freed innocents who lost their youth in jail. It's a gift that keeps on giving. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
DNA: The tiny code that helps find people and solve mysteries
Imagine a big airplane crash where it's very hard to recognize the people who were on board. That happened in 1997 when a Garuda Airways flight crashed. Many of the 234 people were hurt so badly, their families couldn't even tell who they were. 48 of them had to be buried together in one grave. But now, because of a science called DNA technology, things are different. A recent Air India plane crash also had many victims, but scientists have already identified at least 135 of them using DNA. This means their families can finally know what happened and say goodbye. So what is DNA? DNA is like a tiny instruction book inside every living thing. It decides things like the color of your eyes, your height, and even your blood type. Everyone's DNA is different, which makes it super useful to tell people apart. A scientist named Alec Jeffreys made a big discovery in 1984. He figured out how to match DNA to people – kind of like matching a puzzle piece. This helped solve crimes and even helped a boy prove who his parents were so he could stay in the UK. Since then, DNA has helped in amazing ways: Catching criminals Freeing innocent people from jail Helping people learn where their ancestors came from Fixing mistakes made in hospitals long ago (like babies switched at birth) Today, DNA machines are so small they can fit in a backpack. In 2019, U.S. soldiers used one to identify a dangerous terrorist named Baghdadi while flying in a helicopter. Over 40 million people have given their DNA to special companies to learn more about their family history. And you can even order a DNA test online to see who your parents are or where your great-great-grandparents came from. DNA is powerful, personal, and super helpful. It's a science gift that keeps on giving — helping families, solving mysteries, and changing lives. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
